PHOTOS | From refugees to a pillar of faith: Vietnamese Catholic community honors Archbishop Aquila
- Aaron Lambert
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
Fifty years ago, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, citizens of Vietnam courageously fled their home country in search of a better life here in the United States, and a group of refugees made their home here in Denver.
Today, what was once a small band of refugees stands as a mighty pillar of faith in the Archdiocese of Denver. In addition to their resilience and deep faith, it’s been the watchful shepherdship of Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila that has enabled the Vietnamese Catholic community to become such a treasured presence in the archdiocese.
Members of the Vietnamese Catholic community gathered with Archbishop Aquila on Sunday, March 1, to express their gratitude and worship together with their shepherd one final time as the archbishop prepares for retirement later this month. In a lively and culturally rich liturgy at Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in Wheat Ridge, Archbishop Aquila and the Vietnamese people broke bread together and reminisced on a relationship that goes back even further than the archbishop’s 13-year episcopacy here in Denver.
In his homily, Archbishop Aquila reflected on the call of Abram and the three promises God made to him. Those three promises that God made to Abram — blessing him with the Promised Land, making him a great nation and making him a great name — serve as precursors to Christ and his Church, which is meant for all peoples.
“The Lord has already promised that it would be a universal gift through Abram, and that it would be meant for all peoples,” the archbishop explained. “And we see that in the Catholic Church today. … You can see that it's universal, that the Gospel has reached many different people and all nations, and it is meant for all nations.”
This truth is evident in the Vietnamese Catholic community, which has grown steadily since the first band of Vietnamese refugees arrived in Denver in 1975. The small but tight-knit communities of faith at All Saints Parish in Denver, Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in Wheat Ridge and St. Gianna Molla Parish in Denver are living witnesses to the power of the Gospel amid adversity. Over the years, Archbishop Aquila has encouraged and supported these communities as their shepherd and has also helped foster a boom in Vietnamese vocations here in the archdiocese.
(Photos by Olivia Britt/Denver Catholic)
Vietnamese Vocations
Msgr. Peter Quang, pastor of All Saints Parish in Denver, was the first Vietnamese seminarian to be ordained in Denver. He arrived here in 1981 as a refugee and was ordained a transitional deacon in 1989. His first assignment was at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, where he served alongside a young Father Sam Aquila — the same man who would one day be named archbishop of Denver.
“We became friends and shared in many different kinds of historical events together, like when he was ordained and had his first Mass at All Saints,” Msgr. Quang said. “And in the course of visiting back and forth, he wondered and would say, ‘Msgr. Quang, how come we don't have any more Vietnamese seminarians?’
“And I would say, ‘Aha! Now you know that these seminarians have become the pearl of your eyes,’” Msgr. Quang laughed.
Under the archbishop’s tutelage, Msgr. Quang helped build a formation program here in Denver specialized for Vietnamese seminarians, which has borne great fruit over the years, producing several priests and permanent deacons who serve among the clergy in the archdiocese.
One of those deacons, Deacon Joseph Vu at All Saints, believes a key part of Archbishop Aquila’s legacy here in Denver is the steadfast support he’s shown the Vietnamese Catholic community over the years.
“Archbishop Aquila has been a very, very great supporter to the Vietnamese Catholic community in Denver, and I believe that his leadership is defined by his love in action,” Deacon Vu said. “He ensured that our faith remained driven and that our heritage remained in honor. By doing that, he had a good vision and provided a foundation for our community.”
During his ordination, Deacon Vu was struck by something the archbishop told him and his fellow classmates as they prepared to begin their new ministry as deacons. Archbishop’s words then capture the simple but profound way he instilled his own shepherd’s heart into the Vietnamese Catholic community.
“I vividly remember his firm but loving challenge to my 2019 ordination class during his homily,” Deacon Vu recalled. “He said, ‘A permanent deacon's life is based on praying with Jesus daily, and if you don't have a daily prayer, I think you are in the wrong group.’ This teaching became the anchor for my ministry. He taught us that to serve our people, we must first be men of God.”
He added, “While he is firm about our spiritual duties, he is incredibly gentle regarding our families. During ordination, he specifically instructed the priests: ‘Help them and empower them to fulfill their duty and their call first as husband and father before they serve your church.’ As a deacon with a family, hearing that gave me immense peace. He understands that a healthy parish depends on healthy families.”
A Place to Worship
In addition to fostering vocations among the Vietnamese people, another of the chief ways Archbishop Aquila provided support was by enabling them to establish Vietnamese Masses in three parish communities (All Saints, Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs and St. Gianna Molla) so that parishioners could find a Mass closer to home.
“He cared for the Vietnamese Catholic community with three places to worship,” Deacon Vu said. “In that case, people can travel easier. That's how much he cared about the Vietnamese community. When we only had one parish, we had to travel very, very far. Some people travelled an hour and a half or maybe two hours. But now, with three places, it’s easier to travel and easier to worship.”
In addition to the Vietnamese people, the archbishop has also shown concern for the spiritual care of the Hmong people. The Hmong people are an ethnic group originally from southwestern China that began migrating to Vietnam and other Asian countries in the 19th century. After the Vietnam War, a diaspora of Hmong people migrated to the U.S. and made their home in different states, including Colorado. The archdiocese holds a Hmong Mass so that they, too, can worship in their native language.
An Enriching Culture
The Vietnamese culture is rich in history and beautiful traditions, and both Msgr. Quang and Deacon Vu deeply appreciated the way that the archbishop always encouraged and welcomed their cultural heritage as an essential and enriching part of the Church.
“He always encouraged the heritage of the Vietnamese people, and also the faith value they brought along with their families since 1975,” Msgr. Quang noted.
The history of the Catholic faith in Vietnam dates to the 16th century and began to grow after the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Vietnamese Catholics endured horrible persecution in which it is estimated between 130,000 and 300,000 faithful were killed. The Church recognizes all these lives lost as the Vietnamese Martyrs, all of whom were canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988.
The memory of these martyrs is an essential part of the cultural heritage of Vietnamese Catholics, and the archbishop consistently urged the Vietnamese people to courageously proclaim the same faith as their ancestors in their daily ministry.
“He encouraged the Vietnamese people to … be not afraid and testify to your faith by living your life accordingly, with the rich heritage from your ancestors and the martyrs,” Msgr. Quang said.
It is a testament to Archbishop Aquila’s role as shepherd that Vietnamese Catholics have become such an integral part of the Catholic Church of Northern Colorado. For Duoc Bui, who has served as a sacristan at Notre Dame Parish in Denver for a number of years, being part of a faith community that is so warm and welcoming to different cultures is something to be grateful for.
“With American Catholics, I see that they're really friendly, they really open their hearts and welcome us,” Bui said. “We don't feel like we're strangers. You never feel that way. We always feel that we are the same family.”
From refugees to a pillar of faith
Now, as the Vietnamese Catholics of Denver prepare to say farewell to their shepherd, it is a chance to reflect on the legacy he leaves behind and offer thanks to God for his spiritual care over the last 13 years. For Msgr. Quang, he’s not just saying goodbye to his bishop; he’s saying goodbye to a friend.
“I honor his friendship, and I hopefully and prayerfully ask in his retirement that he continue to pray for all of us so we can continue the legacy that he left behind here, to be not afraid and have your eyes fixed on Christ, and God will be able to show you the way,” Msgr. Quang said.
The archbishop’s legacy among the Vietnamese people here in Denver will carry on through their steadfast witness of faith and in the way in which he always encouraged them to be proud of their heritage.
“Archbishop Aquila always encouraged each of us to step forward and exercise prayer and stewardship as the living witness of Christ Jesus in time, in talent, in prayer and in treasure,” he added. “I would encourage the Vietnamese young people to step forward and continue to bring the legacy of their ancestors in the Vietnamese martyrs and also of their shepherd, Archbishop Aquila, from the last 13 years.”
Msgr. Quang expressed nothing but gratitude for the years of service that Archbishop Aquila has given to the Church in Denver, and to the Vietnamese people in particular.
“It's been a privilege and great honor to do ministry with you and also participate as co-workers in the field of the ministry here in the Archdiocese of Denver in the variety of different positions and ministries that we’ve served,” he continued. “I'm grateful for his kindness and compassion and deeper understanding to support the Vietnamese Catholic community.”
Deacon Vu wholeheartedly concurred. He summed up the archbishop’s ministry to the Vietnamese people over the last 13 years in a succinct yet beautiful way:
“Archbishop Aquila began with us as refugees, and now he leaves us as a pillar of the archdiocese with faith, love and care.”
